In response to consumer interest, a number of comparatively inexpensive storage containers have been developed which are made of polymeric materials and which are suitable for a wide variety of storage uses. Such containers attempt to combine the advantages of both flexible storage bags and durable, reusable, stackable storage containers. These containers are made of inexpensive materials yet exhibit sufficient structural integrity to maintain their shape for ease of filling. Particularly useful are such containers which are collapsible for ease of storage when empty, yet are easily erected when ready for use. Representative storage containers of this variety are disclosed in commonly-assigned, co-pending U.S. patent applications Ser. Nos. 08/853,773 and 08/854,246, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
While storage containers of the latter variety provide a number of advantages versus containers of more rigid construction, the need to utilize materials having sufficient rigidity to be self-supporting limits the thinness and flexibility, as well as cost, of the range of materials which may be employed.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a storage container which is collapsible and stackable, yet which can be made of thinner more flexible and inexpensive materials.